Kennedy Meeks’ right hand shot into the air, demanding the basketball. The North Carolina forward’s eyes widened as they met with the eyes of fellow forward Luke Maye. And Maye happily obliged, swinging a pass deep into the post.
Before the ball even reached Meeks, it was over.
He had worked himself so deep into the paint, Meeks was guaranteed nothing less than free throws. The senior made quick work of his defender, drawing a foul and finishing at the basket with ease for his fourth basket in the game’s first 4:05.
“When we get deep like that, it’s hard to stop,” senior forward Isaiah Hicks said. “Kennedy did a good job of starting off hot and getting us established down low.”
Meeks scored nine of his team’s first 13 points in No. 9 UNC's 102-74 win over Monmouth on Wednesday, helping the Tar Heels find their offensive rhythm early — something they’ve failed to do in many games this season.
The forward has made it a point to dominate the paint early in the contest, both to spark the offense and to disrupt the opponent’s game plan.
“Everybody on our team wants to come out aggressive and demanding,” Meeks said. “When you hit teams in the mouth right away, it takes their energy and it takes their focus away.”
The Tar Heels (12-2) did just that, taking the Hawks (10-3) completely out of their rhythm. Within the first nine minutes, Monmouth watched the deficit balloon to 17 points — essentially putting the game out of reach.
Meeks’ scoring slowed down as the game went on — as he finished with 17 points — but his impact could still be felt throughout the offense.
